Chrome vs Stainless

[William_F]

Can someone explain to me the difference in chrome and stainless steel?

When I see pics on the various sites, they look similar and there doesn't seem to be much a difference in price. Do they look ok when paired together? I see some items I want and they come in either or, but some are one or the other. I don't want my interior to end up looking like we just put a bunch of shiny metal inside.

[CREWZIN]

My underhood things are polished stainless steel. The interior pieces are chrome. I can't tell the difference. They polish up using the same kind of cleaners. Maybe Candyman can shed some light on the difference.

[Chromenut]

Since chrome is a factor of bonding chromium to another surface through a chemical and electrical process (ever heard of electro-plating, very similar), it tends to not last as long as stainless. Stainless radiates heat much better than chrome, which is why I've got stainless all around my motor and NOT chrome. Turbos hate heat, and putting chrome around the turbo is a bad choice, as it'll hold in heat where stainless radiates it away freely. Stainless allows you multiple finishs, from burnished to brushed to polished, punched, cut, bent, etc. Once you've gone through the chemical bath to affix chrome to a surface, you can't even bend it much without marring the surface.

I like and prefoer stainless to chrome, even though in many places he finish of chrome is preferred over that of stainless.

[William_F]

So then it sounds like for interior applications either is ok and mixing won't look bad. For under the hood applications, SS is the way to go?

[cruserdad1976]

id say yes but remember chrome is a plating and will peal off and it can also bubble up stainless is stainless and will always be stainless and it may require buffing but it should always clean up pretty nice

[Chromenut]

If you want shiney, and you know up front that in 3 years you'll likely be replacing a piece, go chrome. If you want to put it on once and forget about it except for cleaning, go for stainless.

On my up-pipe, lower IC pipe, and my TTAB, I went brushed stainless, way less maintenance than the polished. Here's a pic..



You can't see the TTAB or lower pipe (obviously) from here, but the up-pipe is a good representation of what all three look like. Except of course the TTAB is a 3" versus the smaller diameter up and lower. And before you ask, no my intake is not metal, it's the composite (aka plastic) manifold that's been stripped, cleaned and painted a faux cast aluminum, then 8 layers of engine block clear coat. Does look good though.

Oh, one other thing, I went through all my hose clamps on my car and replaced several that were not stainless. The stainless clamps last a life time, the others about 10 years and they have to be replaced.

[William_F]

Thanks for the input, Chromenut.

I think answered a lot of the questions I have, for sure.

Do you have any idea how difficult it is to remove the chrome overlay grilles once they've been installed? I think for now to dress up the car, I want to get one of the $100-$150 grilles and then eventually replace it with one of the more expensive metal ones. Am I setting my self up for problems going that route?

[quicksilverdon]

Originally Posted by William_F

Thanks for the input, Chromenut.

I think answered a lot of the questions I have, for sure.

Do you have any idea how difficult it is to remove the chrome overlay grilles once they've been installed? I think for now to dress up the car, I want to get one of the $100-$150 grilles and then eventually replace it with one of the more expensive metal ones. Am I setting my self up for problems going that route?

Nope. The entire stock grille comes out - overlay and all (the top, anyway) when you get a metal one. The bottom goes over what's there.

[808]

Originally Posted by William_F

Thanks for the input, Chromenut.

I think answered a lot of the questions I have, for sure.

Do you have any idea how difficult it is to remove the chrome overlay grilles once they've been installed? I think for now to dress up the car, I want to get one of the $100-$150 grilles and then eventually replace it with one of the more expensive metal ones. Am I setting my self up for problems going that route?

Unless you put on the same overlay as I did! Mine has clips AND that black sealant/adhesive stuff!!

[William_F]

Originally Posted by 808

Unless you put on the same overlay as I did! Mine has clips AND that black sealant/adhesive stuff!!

So was/is yours a real PITA to remove?

What brand/style do you have?